New York City elected officials and the NYPD announced Saturday night an increase in police presence at sensitive sites following the U.S. striking three Iranian nuclear facilities.
“We’re tracking the situation unfolding in Iran,” the NYPD said in a post on X around 9 p.m., an hour before President Trump discussed the strikes in a televised address. “Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners. We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC.”
Trump announced the bombing strikes on Iran Saturday afternoon in a social media post. America’s action, joining Israel’s effort in the war, comes more than a week of strikes against Iran by Israel that aimed to knock out the country’s air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
“My top priority is the safety of all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said on X. “I am receiving intelligence briefings and closely monitoring the evolving situation in Iran alongside federal and local partners. The New York State Police are working to protect at-risk sites and fight cyberattacks.”
“Learning of the U.S. bombing of three sites in Iran,” Mayor Adams posted on X. While we await more details from our federal partners, we’ve ordered the NYPD to increase its presence around religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites throughout the five boroughs. Thinking about our large Persian population here in NYC at this time.”
Trump urged Iran to end the war, calling the strikes a “HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD.”
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez denounced the strikes, declaring Trump should be impeached.
“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations,” Ocasio-Cortez said on X. “It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
In Times Square on Saturday evening, several people told the Daily News that the U.S. attack on Iran had left them feeling skeptical and scared.
“So, I just thought it was more bluffing [by Trump],” said Kevin O’Neill, 69, who was visiting from Sandusky, Ohio. “So, I don’t know. I’m speechless. It feels pretty negative to me.”
Destiny Suarez, 27, who was in town from Dallas Tex., said she supported President Trump on his economic policies but is dubious on his positions on immigration and Iran.
“I mean, we don’t know, it could start, like, World War III,” Suarez said. “That’s what people are mostly scared of. It could happen. I mean, I like Donald Trump, but I just, like, I don’t know what he’s doing at this moment. It’s very random of him.”
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned the U.S. on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic would “result in irreparable damage for them.”
“There is always a way around that,” said Daqwan Freeman, 31, from New Jersey. “Like, it never really has to be a war. You know what I’m saying? But we in the world, we in times where it’s not about anything but power. So that’s what we’re expressing these days is how much strength we got.”
